NYC Faces 'Last Chance' To Stop Second Wave Of Coronavirus: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — As a rising tide of coronavirus cases positions New York City on the precipice of a second wave, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city now faces its last chance to fight it off.

The city saw 795 new cases of the COVID-19 virus reported Sunday, far surpassing the 550-case threshold meant to serve as a warning light in the city's fight against the pandemic.

The positivity rate, which measures how many coronavirus tests came back positive, has also continued to climb, hitting an average of 2.31 percent over the last week and creeping closer to the 3 percent mark that would prompt the city to close public schools.

“This is our last chance right now to stop a second wave," de Blasio said during a Tuesday news conference. "If we aren’t able to stop it, there will be clearly lots of consequences that will remind us too much of where we’ve been before."

De Blasio signaled growing concern over the city's COVID-19 metrics but expressed optimism that New Yorkers could still prevent a second wave of the pandemic if they continue to observe health and safety guidelines and get tested.

"We believe we can still fight back the second wave," de Blasio said Tuesday. "There’s still a chance to turn this around."

Complicating matters is the fact that, in at least half of newly diagnosed COVID-19 virus cases, contact tracers have been unable to identify a clear source of transmission, according to city health officials.

About 10 percent of cases have been linked to travel, and another 5 percent can be tied to indoor gatherings, according to senior public health adviser Jay Varma.

The rest still bear a question mark.

"That is one of the major warning signs that we have been tracking and concerned about," Varma told reporters Tuesday.

The mayor previously said the city was "dangerously close" to a second wave and should re-evaluate indoor dining but has announced no new restrictions.

Officials have instead focused on the personal behaviors that can curb the spread of the virus, including social distancing and hand-washing, and urged New Yorkers not travel for the holidays.

In areas where cases are surging, such as Tottenville in Staten Island, officials are doubling down on testing and contact tracing efforts rather than enacting localized restrictions, as was done in parts of Brooklyn and Queens.